“They are faced with really difficult decisions, between money that they’re able on their low income or fixed income, to put toward medical expenses or rent,” said Seneor. “A cut like this is going to make those decisions a lot more difficult.”

Congress and President Obama enlarged food stamp benefits across the board in 2009 as part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.

Document

Originally, the increases were set to expire whenever the price of a nutritious basket of food devised by federal government economists caught up to the higher payments, according to the center. That threshold hasn’t been reached, but in 2010, Congress set a firm end date as part of a deal to pay for child nutrition programs.

Even with the cuts, a family of four will receive a maximum benefit that exceeds $600 a month. Taxpayer Francisco Martinez, 46, of Chula Vista, said that’s about what his family of four spends on food, including healthy, sometimes pricey, selections. Martinez, a doctor, supports the program for the truly needy but is concerned about the potential for abuse and the sowing of dependence among people who could be providing for themselves.

“I see people who are disabled, that I wonder how they are disabled, I wonder which doctor gave the patient a disability (finding), how they got it,” he said. “And then they’re getting money to live, they are getting all kinds of benefits including food stamps.

“There is fraud, there is abuse, and it goes beyond food stamps.”

Among those getting a full menu of benefits is the family of Melinda Escobar, which receives the cash aid known as CalWorks, MediCal for the children, Section 8 housing assistance, and, for the last seven years, CalFresh, as food stamps are branded in California.

Document

Escobar says she worked previously, wanted to make more money, and so returned to school but has had to repeat three semesters. She is interested in psychology and would like to work with children.

“I can’t afford child care most of the time, and then transportation. It’s been different things here and there,” Escobar said. “Right now I really want to work, and I’ve gotten three job offers, but I don’t know what I’m going to do about child care.”

The state offers subsidized child care to participants in “welfare-to-work” programs, which extends for a period of time after an adult has exhausted cash benefits.

Escobar says when the reductions kick in, she will make more use of charity.

“I’ll go to the food banks first, then whatever they don’t give me, I’ll buy that with the food stamps so that I can have more to work with, to last,” she said.

Recipient Dennis Robinson, 38, has received food stamps for about three months and expects the reduction to have little effect on him as his work as a carpet cleaner picks up.

“I’m on my way back to work, anyway,” Robinson said. “I’ve been taking steps to get myself in a better situation.”

Melinda Escobar, who will be affected by the reduction in food stamps benefits starting Nov. 1, feeds her 1-year-old son, Elijah Gonzales, during a visit to the Co-Op Cafe, part of the Wesley Community Service Center at the Wesley United Methodist Church in Talmadge.
— Howard Lipin / U-T

Melinda Escobar, who will be affected by the reduction in food stamps benefits starting Nov. 1, feeds her 1-year-old son, Elijah Gonzales, during a visit to the Co-Op Cafe, part of the Wesley Community Service Center at the Wesley United Methodist Church in Talmadge.
— Howard Lipin / U-T